


Questions

by jynx



Series: The Sea Siren [7]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, M/M, Mermaid Kíli
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 21:02:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6675334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jynx/pseuds/jynx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fili has a lot of questions to ask</p>
            </blockquote>





	Questions

**Author's Note:**

> SpringFRE prompt: "I didn’t need to know yet.”
> 
> Granted, didn't use the quote but the meaning behind it is definitely there. :)

The “Welcome Back, Nori!!!” party was still in full swing when Fili found the other mer. Nori looked just as he remembered—red hair pulled into sweeping peaks and secured with gold bangles until he looked almost like a starfish, dressed in tan and beige with the occasional twinkle of gold.

Kili was rubbing off on Fili’s thoughts.

Then again, maybe Nori did it on purpose? He was both mer and pirate, gold was doubly attractive to him.

“Dwalin’s thrilled,” Fili said in greeting. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this boisterous. It’s almost disturbing."

Nori tilted his head in the direction of the sea and the shapes that were playing in the surf. Kili and the other mers that had come with him where playing a raucous round of tag, churning the waves up and throwing seaweed at each other while chittering and trilling. “I came to keep that one out of trouble,” Nori said. “Dwalin and the rest of you were just incentive. The King wanted someone to remind keep him safe since he’s become a barnacle on you.”

“Can I ask you about him?” Fili asked. At Nori’s inquiring stare he sighed. “Kili doesn’t talk about himself. He redirects the question or flat out leaves. I get that some things aren’t any of my business—"

“No, they are,” Nori said. “He’s chosen you, for the time being, so you should know what that means. What do you want to know?"

“He’s a prince, right?” At Nori’s nod, Fili continued. “Doesn’t that mean he should be with his people? And, I guess, what does that mean for us? For me?"

Nori took a swig of rum from the bottle he held and tipped his head back, staring at the moon. He was silent for a moment before beginning.

“Royalty is made, for my people. Only the fastest swimmers, strongest fighters, are meant to lead us. There are competitions and mock battles to figure this out. There are always three royalty per pod, school, group, kingdom, whatever you want to call us. One who leads, one who is successor, and one in case both fall.

“Kili is our successor, but he is also a baby."

“Baby?” Fili interrupted, blinking. What, exactly, did that mean? Was he as young as he acted, then? Or younger?

Nori smirked. “In the way we determine age, to us under the seas, he is a very young twenty. Barely out of his teens. Pampered and catered to. In your years, human years? He has two centuries, and then some."

Fili felt himself go hot and then cold in shock. Two centuries? And he was this…utter brat? The silly fish who had let himself get captured was two centuries old and one of their strongest fighters?

“He is impulsive and fanciful,” Nori said. He leaned against the wall and watched the other mers play. “He was looking for me when he found you. I’m his guard and the closest thing he has to a friend. Everyone else is very…respectful. Or they flash their tails and try to catch his interest. It’s lonely being royalty. He’s a little too social to have it fit him."

“Then why did he try?” Fili asked.

“You don’t have the option,” Nori said. “Everyone participates. You can get kicked out early but sometimes you just get into this mindset of me, me, me and you end up winning."

“How close did you get?”

Nori smirked. “Top ten. That is why I am a guard. Because I can protect him."

Fili was silent, thinking this though. “How do you become royalty?"

“You survive,” Nori said. He turned and pulled up his shirt, showing off a long scar across his back. “This is what knocked me out. First blood drawn eliminates you from the competition. There’s tons of tiny competitions until the big last mock battle. And whoever wins is the next royal.” Nori was silent for a moment. “For what it means to you, for you, for the two of you? Not a lot. Just us keeping an eye on both of you. Kili will stay as long as he stays, though he’ll leave long before you age too old.” Nori nudged Fili when the blond flinched. “Age bothers us, sometimes. Watching the ones we love die is never pleasant."

Fili nodded and redirected his questions. “What about Kili’s parents? Do they like having him as a royal, or up here on land? Is one of them King?"

“The mer who raised him is King, yes, but they’re not related,” Nori said. “Kili’s parents were killed by sharks not too long after he was birthed. A small pod had been taken out by a hungry shark that we ended up killing. I found Kili after the attack. Tiny thing hiding in the grasses, saw the whole thing. He’s not a big fan of sharks, as you could guess."

Fili shuddered. “That sounds awful. I couldn’t imagine losing my parents that way, and watching it happen."

Nori hesitated. “It’s… This world, up here, is safer in a lot of ways then it is under the seas. Kili runs his risks up here with you but not as many as there are under the waves.” He gave a gusty sigh. “I know Kili managed to get you down there once but you should ask him to take you again. You should see our world."

“How dangerous is dangerous?” Fili asked.

Nori chuckled. “You are doing an awful lot of asking."

“Your brat of a Prince doesn’t tell me anything."

“He can be a little tightlipped,” Nori agreed. “Some things you should ask him, though. Ask him about the dangers of the seas. He might even answer."

“Has he always been a brat?” Fili asked, half joking.

“No,” Nori said. “Usually he’s pretty withdrawn. He’s a good prince to our pod, fair and just, a good defender. But he is still young and sometimes it weighs on him. You’re good for him. This, the Erebor and Ered Luin, the crew, you are all good for him. He’s a little too attached, maybe, but you’re good for him."

“Fili! Nori!” Kili called up, waving from the waves. “Come swim!"

Fili chuckled. “We’re being summoned."

“Ordered,” Nori said. He was smiling as he headed down to the beach. “Bratty little prince. He needs to learn some manners."

“Well, you’re here now to try and keep him in line, right?” Fili asked.

“More like helplessly shake my head and let him swim all over all of you. I’ll stand back and let him do his thing. What the King doesn’t know doesn’t hurt anyone."

The two of then stripped out of their clothes and wadded into the water. Once they were deep enough Kili wrapped himself around Fili and nuzzled him.

“Mine,” he said happily.


End file.
